NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 1 Part 3
The girl’s name was apparently Anna.
She was the daughter of a doctor whose house was located on the outskirts of town.
“So, what kind of flowers do you want?”
“Hmm… Mommy’s favorite ones!”
“And that would be…?”
I asked, only to see Anna blink at me in confusion.
“I don’t know.”
“…Huh?”
“I have no idea.”
“You came all this way to make a request, and you don’t even know what kind of flowers you’re looking for?”
“Yup! I thought Lady Faust would know!”
“That’s… actually, yeah, she probably would.”
That old hag—no, my dear master—might have been able to use her clairvoyance to peer into the past.
Of course, I had no such ability.
“Sorry, Anna, I’m still just an apprentice. I can’t instantly find the right flowers like my master could.”
“I see… but it’s okay! Don’t be sad!”
“…Thanks.”
Something about this whole situation felt off, but for now, the only way forward was to work with what little information we had.
So, we decided to head to Anna’s house.
Lapis—a regional city with a population of about a hundred thousand.
Not too big, not too small. Neither too cramped nor too inconvenient. It was peaceful, a comfortable place to live.
At the outskirts of the city lay the Witch’s Forest, where my master’s house was located.
As we walked through the town, familiar voices called out to me.
“Oh, Meg, out on another errand?”
“Heh, something like that, boss.”
“Hey, Meg-sis! You working?”
“Something like that…”
“Meg-chan, it’s rare to see you around this time. I just made some fried potatoes—want some?”
“Thanks, ma’am! Can I get one for this kid too?”
“Of course, dear.”
The people in this town were warm and friendly.
They treated me the same way whether I was a newcomer or a witch. They welcomed me, spoke to me like I belonged.
The brick-laid streets blended harmoniously with the greenery, the river ran clear, and the air was fresh.
This was the town I called home.
As Anna and I walked along, munching on our fried potatoes, I noticed her staring at me intently.
“What’s up?”
“You’re kinda famous, huh?”
“Of course I am! I’m the apprentice of none other than the great Faust of the Seven Sages!”
“The Seven Sages?”
“The seven most brilliant minds in the world.”
In this world, there existed beings who transcended the limits of ordinary humans—witches, wizards, and other practitioners of magic.
People collectively referred to them as sorcerers.
Among them, seven individuals were officially recognized by the International Magic Society as “Sages.”
The Seven Sages.
And my master, the “Eternal Witch Faust,” was one of them.
Since ancient times, witches have used their power for the sake of others, and in return, people have offered them gifts of gratitude.
Thus, witches and humans have maintained a long-standing relationship of mutual aid.
That was why my master was so respected by the townsfolk.
People from all walks of life sought her help.
“Are you going to become like Lady Faust one day, too?”
“Of course—”
I was going to.
If I weren’t dying, I probably would have, someday.
A great witch, admired by all.
So why am I dying?
Who placed this curse on me?
I don’t know. I’ll probably die never knowing.
Even now, it doesn’t feel real.
“Damn it all!”
“Whoa! What’s wrong?!”
“Anna, enough gloomy talk! Let’s pick up the pace!”
“When did we ever talk about anything gloomy?”
“Ah, now that I think about it, we really didn’t! Don’t sweat the details!”
“You’re weird, big sis.”
“Been that way since birth!”
I had always hated overthinking things.
Brooding never suited me.